Features of the perfect shooting jacket

a good shooting coat can cost upwards of three hundred pounds, and lasts many years, buying a coat is a big decision and you don't really want to get it wrong, so to help you out we've attempted to condense some of the key things to look for into a simple guide for you.

The first thing to consider is the type of shooting you are going to be doing, and for most people that probably means a mix of ‘standing gun' and more active ‘walking gun' perhaps mixed in with a bit of beating and working the dog. Straight away this presents the key problem; a really warm jacket for the standing gun or a lightweight jacket for the more active shooter. Ideally you'd have 2 jackets depending on the day, but with most of us opting for one jacket for all conditions you have to make a choice. My recommendation is to go for a jacket made of a lightweight yet durable outer material, with either a thin quilted or wadded lining, that isn't too warm or heavy, and make sure that it is big enough to slip a good fleece under on colder days. Steer clear of tweed as the weight is likely to make it cumbersome on more active days. Musto's GWCT jacket, Barbour's Sporting Lightweight and Harkila's Edward Jacket all fit into this category nicely.

The next thing is an easy one; it must be waterproof and also breathable. Cheaper fabrics and wax that aren't breathable could mean you're as wet in side as outside on a warm yet wet day, as all the trapped sweat has no way to escape. It's also worth investing in a jacket made of a top-end breathable fabric, as the level of breathability and also durability tends to be compromised in cheaper jackets. Gore-Tex is still the benchmark name in this area, and all 3 jackets named above incorporate Gore-Tex fabric technology, however there are other good membranes on the market such as Seetex.

The next thing we'll look as is cut, and again this one is relatively easy if you want a traditional look, because a relatively conservative, straight cut, three-quarter length template dominates the majority of shooting jackets in the UK. Some of the Scandinavian brands such as Harkila and Seeland, have good waist length options, but these tend to be more popular with stalkers than traditional game shooters. The key thing in the cut is that you have plenty of freedom of movement across the shoulder, to allow you to swing the gun, and also that the sleeves are long enough. Depending on how broad you are across the shoulder different jackets suit different people best, but one jacket that seems exceptionally good on all builds is the Chameau Cheveney thanks to a cleverly cut action back.

Having all the main features sorted it is then down to the little details, and any good shooting jackets should have the following:

• Generous bellow cartridge pockets with retaining clips that hold them open to allow rapid reloading.
• An internal zipped security pocket and ideally at least a couple more for your hip flask and other bits and pieces.
• The option of a stud on hood. Whilst most people don't use them, on a wet day they are great.
• Cross over poppered storm front, to prevent the rain getting through the zip.
• A good, deep storm collar with front fastener, again to keep out the rain.
•  Storm cuffs, that grip to the wrist and prevent a gale blowing up your sleeve as you raise the gun.

With all those in mind you shop hopefully be able to pick out a jacket that does the job for many years to come.

About the Author

Leading online department store offering such brands as <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Barbour Jackets</a>, Musto , Le Chameau, RM Williams, Dubarry, <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Weathervanes</a>, Samuel Heath, Brabantia, Antler, Brattonsound from Philip Morris and Son clothing and home department store Nc� oa�J��e�-ansi-language:EN-GB;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1972132182; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-454148726 134807553 134807555 134807557 134807553 134807555 134807557 134807553 134807555 134807557;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} -->

 

Barbour men&#039;s Chelsea Sports Quilt- a modern fashion phenomenon

At half time in England's dire performance again the USA in the 2010 world cup Alan Hanson commented live on prime time TV ‘it looks like a girls coat', remarking on the jacket worn by Alan Shearer who was commentating live from the stadium. Little did Hanson, or many others know, that by then the jacket was well on the way to establishing itself as a fashion phenomenon. 

The jacket in question was Barbour's Chelsea Sports quilt which has been a very popular coat in the Barbour range and continues to sell well.

For years Barbour's wax jackets have flirted with being fashionable, helped along by the Royal family and the occasional high profile country type celebrity, but never before have they been a must have on the football terraces and high streets up and down the country.  In recent years everyone who is anyone has been spotted in one, especially amongst the more influential British fashion icons.

So what has made this jacket into such a huge success? Let's start with what hasn't made it a success, and primarily that is that it isn't a traditional Barbour Jacket. Just a few short years back Barbour Jackets where heavy, smelly, shapeless wax affairs, suited only to farmer and other people who didn't come into close contact with others.

They were waterproof and practical, but certainly not fashionable. This jacket is altogether different. For a start it is a quilt, or to be technical, diamond quilted (no jewels involved). Yes it's warm, yes it's a practical cut, but primarily it is a fitted, even slimming cut, and if you're in Oxford street or rural Oxfordshire it is the coat to have.

In the right circles, Barbour are known and are fantastically received, but the majority of people who are looking for a decent coat would probably not think that Barbour would be right for them. Until you have tried one of these coats then you will simply never know how good they are, but you often will stick with the brand for life after your first purchase.

Whatever it is that made it a success it seems to have only been the tip of the iceberg, with a series of refined and updated versions proving ever more popular. This year a fleece lined ‘Chelsea Polar Quilt', and matt finished version call the ‘Powell jacket' looks set to take up the reins from the original Chelsea Sports Quilt.  What is for sure is that it is a trend that looks set to grow and grow.

About the Author

Leading online department store offering such brands as <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Barbour Jackets</a>, Musto , Le Chameau, RM Williams, Dubarry, <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Weathervanes</a>, Samuel Heath, Brabantia, Antler, Brattonsound from Philip Morris and Son clothing and home department store.

A Quick Guide Preserving and Jam Making

To make any of these preserves there is just a few items a beginner needs to buy and there are several companies out there producing these items, many of them due to the boom of ‘grow your own', however too many of them are cheap imitations and will not last year after year. One brand that originated in 1842 that has truly stood the test of time is Kilner.

They continue to produce to innovative products that all lesser companies endeavour to copy. The three most important items listed below are all available from Kilner and I've never met anyone who regrets buying the best. My mum's Kilner Jars are older than I am, and are as good as new.

The first item that will be needed is the pan itself which nowadays most common in stainless steel. Traditionally a copper pan would have been used, but due to the poor longevity of this material and also rising copper prices, stainless steel has become common place and produces almost identical results. In some instances stainless steel is more suitable, for instance on induction hobs, with many professional and long-time cooks preferring this type of pan.

The next most important item is the storage jar, known to most people as a ‘Kilner' jar. Jars come in many shapes and forms, from clip top, to screw top, from square in shape to round. And each one of these is available in a huge range of sizes to suit the end user from ½ litre to around 3.0 litres.

The final item which I feel is absolutely necessary is a funnel, which gives a means of transferring the hot preserve into the jars. It eliminates spillage of the beautiful liquid that you have slaved over from picking through to preparing. A simple metal funnel with a wide mouth to help poor easily is readily available from Kilner.

Above I have outlined what I believe to be the three most important items required when starting out, there are obviously other items you add to your collection to improve the preserves your making, and increase your offering. There are other things that you might want to add after a bit of trial and error, but the basics are there to really help you master this delightful art.

So, now you have read our guide to making these tasty treats and products, you need to go and get some fruit and start making some lovely jams and chutneys.

About the Author

Leading online department store offering such brands as <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Barbour Jackets</a>,Musto, Le Chameau, RM Williams, Dubarry, <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Weathervanes</a>, Samuel Heath, Brabantia, Antler, Brattonsound from Philip Morris and Son clothing and home department store.            

What To Look For When Buying Country Clothing

Let's take the wax jacket as a starting point.

Wax has come back into fashion over the last few years, with more and more people appreciating its unique qualities. To start with, it's waterproof, and you can keep re-waxing it year after year so that it carries on keeping out the water.  If you buy a jacket where the base material is made from good quality cotton, probably at least a 6oz fabric, then you can get years and years of wear out of it. It's not unusual for jackets from leading brands like Barbour to last over 20 years. For those who are rough with their jackets, the rugged nature of waxed cotton also protects from bramble and thorns, and hence an alternative term now rarely used for the wax jacket is ‘thornproof'.

The big downside to wax is that it doesn't ‘breathe', and the consequence of all that trapped in sweat is that it is not as warm as modern breathable fabrics.  Gore-Tex is the leading brand in breathable fabric technology, although there are now many other quality breathable fabrics on the market, such as Seetex, which are comparable but much more reasonably priced. For over 20 years, Musto have led the way with incorporating Gore-Tex fabrics into shooting coats: their Highland jacket was the first ever Gore-Tex shooting jacket, and is still the market leader today.

By combining breathable membrane s with other technically advanced and durable fabrics, Musto and other technically innovative brands have been able to produce jackets that are lighter, warmer, more comfortable, and just as durable as their wax cotton predecessors.

The most traditional of all shooting jacket materials is Tweed, woven from pure wool. Traditional tweeds are waterproof because the weave is so thick and tightly woven that water cannot penetrate. However, this means that whilst a good tweed has a lovely soft feel, it is very heavy to wear, and gets heavier and heavier as it soaks up water in the rain.  The leading brands such as Barbour and Musto have developed some innovative solutions to this, such as incorporating nylon and lycra into the weave to give it strength and stretch but without the weight, and combining the lighter tweed with a waterproof membrane like Gore-Tex or a coating like Teflon to keep the water out.

Another problem with pure wool tweed is that it can only be dry cleaned, which becomes a problem after a day out with the dogs in a muddy shooting field.  In the last 2 years, a few companies have developed machine washable tweeds where the wool is pre-treated before weaving so that it doesn't shrink when washed. The same process also adds durability to the wool, meaning they can be woven lighter than traditional tweed.  Whilst expensive, machine washable tweeds are perhaps the holy grail; warm, lightweight, waterproof, breathable, machine washable, smart, traditional and high tech! All the features to look for combined into 1 jacket.

About the Author

Leading online department store offering such brands as <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Barbour Jackets</a>,Musto, Le Chameau, RM Williams, Dubarry, <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Weathervanes</a>, Samuel Heath, Brabantia, Antler, Brattonsound from Philip Morris and Son clothing and home department store.            

What Makes A Safe Gun Cabinet For Your Shooting Accessories

As part of the process of applying for your shotgun or firearms licence, your local firearms officer will visit you and inspect the arrangement you have made to secure your guns. The firearms officers have a degree of discretion in terms of what they will approve, so it's worth making sure you get the arrangement right.

Shotguns and rifles must be secured at all times, and since February 2011 it has been a crime to fail to take ‘reasonable precautions' to prevent someone under 18 from gaining access to an air rifle. Whilst this does not mean it has to be in a cabinet, in practical terms a cabinet is the best option to demonstrate you are acting responsibly.

Outwardly many gun cabinets are very similar, but in practice there are substantial but subtle differences in design which go into the construction of the better cabinets which meet the British standard BS 7558/92.

Whilst there are good cabinets that haven't been tested for the standard, for peace of mind it is worth getting one that has.  Small differences to look for include features such as anti-jemmy flush fitting doors, a minimum of 2mm hardened steel construction and full length joint welding. The locks are a vital part of the cabinet and it is worth getting quality locks as there is nothing more frustrating than getting your guns stuck in the cabinet when the lock fails and you want to be out shooting. There are 2 types of locking mechanism commonly found on cabinets:

• Single key, which should be at least 7 lever, that throws a series of bolts.  Ideally you want at least 5 bolts spread along the length of the door to be really secure.
• Double key.  Generally with this style, you should have separate locks top and bottom, again at least 7 lever, which each directly throw a single bolt.

 

Your cabinet must be firmly secured, ideally flush fitting to a solid wall with expanding bolts, or similarly strong fixings. Fixing to internal plasterboard walls or thermal block, from which the cabinet can be easily levered away may not be approved. Make sure the cabinet you choose has holes to be secured with at least 4 bolts, and ideally to both the wall and floor. The cabinet should be in an occupied part of the premises; outbuildings and sheds are less likely to be approved. To keep your guns in the best possible condition and prevent rusting, it is also a good idea to have the cabinet placed in a warm dry place so this generally excludes outbuildings.

Another thing to check when choosing a cabinet is to make sure it is large enough, especially if you have a rifle with a scope and silencer. Some cabinets designed for shotguns are cheaper but are not deep enough to take a rifle with a scope on, and if you have to remove the scope, you will need to re-zero it afterwards, which will be endlessly frustrating.

You also need to think about security for your ammunition, which should always be stored separately. There is no requirement to secure air rifle or shotgun ammunition, but it is best practice to do so. Rifle ammunition must be stored securely. The best rifle cabinets have a separate top compartment which is operated with a different key to get around this problem, or even better, get a separate small cabinet in a different part of the house for ammunition.

One last thing to remember once you have your cabinet is that it is important to ensure that you are the only person with access to it.  In practice, this means keeping the keys securely and in a place that only you know where they are. There is no point taking all these precautions and then leaving the keys out!

About the Author

Leading online department store offering such brands as Jackets, Musto, Le Chameau, RM Williams, Dubarry, Samuel Heath, Brabantia, Antler, <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk>Brattonsound Gun Cabinets</a> from Philip Morris and Son clothing and home department store.            

The Tools You Need To Keep Your Garden In Shape This Summer

The summer is nearly here and the sun is shining, which means it's time to head into the garden and spend hours making things look nice and pretty for the months ahead. If you are going to run a successful garden then there are certain tools and equipment that are needed to make sure you can keep the upkeep going with the minimum of effort.

In order to maintain a flower bed, rockery or vegetable patch, there are a few core tools that are always needed. First of all a good solid pair or secateurs are needed for pruning dead heads and taking out small branches. For the keen to professional gardener the most suitable pair would be the Felco Professional (Number 7) which has a pivoting handle creating less stress on the hand during heavy use. For less frequent use a pair Fiskars Chunky Secateurs would be ideal. These come in a choice of sizes depending to suit the both the users hand and also the size of the material being cut.

Another tool vital is a good pair of loppers for removing large boughs. One of the most versatile tools for this would be the Wolf Telescopic Bypass Lopper. This one is particularly useful because of its adjustable handles which can be extended to reach higher up and further away without having to overstretch.

The final cutting tool that is particularly useful is the Felco Pruning Saw which is ideal for taking out the largest of branches, because this is extremely useful in awkward places and with the blade being extremely sharp time is saved when pruning.

A must have is a pair of grass shears or even a couple of different pairs for different jobs. Grass shears come in several forms starting with a single handed grass shear which may suit people with dexterity problems. The traditional two handed grass shear is by still the most popular in the market place for cutting back large areas of grass and then there's the long handled edging shear for tidying up around the lawn once it has been mown.

For whatever garden, large or small a quality trowel and hand fork is a must, and nothing beats the Fiskars Stainless Steel Soft Grip range. These tools will most likely be the most used in any garden shed so need to be strong, robust and built to last because hardly a day will go past when you won't be weeding, tidying, transplanting or potting.

A final word has to be said about the Wolf Multi-Change range which isn't one particular tool but consists of a choice of handles and then a selection of around 50 different attachments to cover everything from a hoe through to a scarifier. The advantages of opting for this range are firstly space saving, but also money saving because you aren't purchasing extra handles. You can start off with the bare essentials and slowly add to the range as needs be. A person who uses the Wolf range never goes back to more traditional individual tools.

About the Author

Leading online department store offering such brands as

<a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Barbour Jackets</a>,Musto, Le Chameau, RM Williams, Dubarry, <a href=http://www.philipmorrisdirect.co.uk/>Weathervanes</a>, Samuel Heath, Brabantia, Antler, Brattonsound from Philip Morris and Son clothing and home department store.